Varun Dhawan is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. One of India's highest-paid actors, he has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2014. He has starred in 11 consecutive box-office successes between 2012 and 2018.
Dhawan was born on 24 April 1987 in Mumbai. The son of film director David Dhawan, he graduated in business studies from the Nottingham Trent University. He began his career as an assistant director to Karan Johar in My Name Is Khan (2010), and subsequently made his acting debut in 2012 with Johar's teen drama Student of the Year. He rose to prominence with leading roles in the romantic comedies Main Tera Hero (2014), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017); the action comedies Dilwale (2015), Dishoom (2016), and Judwaa 2 (2017); the dance film ABCD 2 (2015); and the drama Sui Dhaaga (2018).
Dhawan also received praise for playing against type as an avenger in the thriller Badlapur (2015) and an aimless man coping with loss in the drama October (2018). Following three critical and commercial failures, he starred in Jugjugg Jeeyo and Bhediya (both 2022). He will also star in the Indian spinoff of the American drama series Citadel, created by the Russo Brothers, and directed by Raj & DK.